Importance of Indonesian Language and Indonesia around the Globe

There is a huge Importance of Indonesian Language and Indonesia, considering the fact that Indonesia is one of the fastest and steadily growing economies in the world today. With a population of more than 43 million natives and a lot of high profile tourist destinations, the. In this article, we will explore the why and how’s of navigating this bustling and highly potential market.

Brief Intro Of The Indonesian Language

Bahasa or Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of the South Asian country of Indonesia. Home to 43 million native speakers, it is undoubtedly one of the most popular languages in the country. The language has been spoken in the land for centuries and therefore is a part of the standardized Register of Malay.

Other than the native language of Bahasa, the 43 million residents of Indonesia are fluent in 700 other local dialects. Prominent examples of these local languages include Sundanese, Javanese and also Balinese. However, despite the popularity of these 700 other languages, the country provides most of its formal education and other official communication to the public in Indonesian, as it is undoubtedly understood by all and even to a large number of immigrants in the country, along with a substantial amount of foreigners visiting the country every year.

The name Indonesian for the language which is originally known as Bahasa Indonesian is commonly found in popular languages spoken in the world and also English.

Popular English words with Indonesian origin

During the rule of the Great Britain in the British colonies of Malay and the monarchy’s short stay in Java, the English language borrowed a substantial number of words from the Indonesian language. These words, borrowed from the Malay language family is also known as kata serapan in the local language. But the distinctive factor is not all words were borrowed from Bahasa alone, some were borrowed from local dialects such as Javanese and Sundanese as well.

The main purpose of loaning words from the Indonesian language is to describe things which are uniquely Indonesian like flora and fauna of the country, known as Cockatoo and Komodo. Both these English words have Indonesian roots. Another popular reason to loan words from Indonesian is to describe the local art forms such as wayang, kris and batik among others.

The most recent stint of borrowing English words from Indonesian is to describe volcanic occurrences and to describe food processing materials such as tempeh and agar. Mentioned below are some of the most popular English words with an Indonesian, Javanese or Sundanese origin. Language learning is fun, and this list will simply give you an idea of that. Also, the list is not exhaustive and has been categorized into subsections for a better understanding of the reader.

1. Animals: Dugong from the Indonesian word Duyung, Orangutan, Siamang, Tokay or gecko from the Javanese word Tolek, Tapir, Bantam named after the town of Banten.

2. Nature: Bamboo from the Indonesian word Bambu, Meranti which is a kind of tropical tree inhabitant to the country, Pandanus from Pandan, Sago from the Indonesian word Sagu, Cajuput from the Indonesian word Kayu Putih.

3. Fruits: Salak from the Indonesian word Zalacca, Papaya from Pepaya, Cempedak and Mangosteen from the Indonesian word Manggis.

4. Food Items: Agar which is used in food processing and manufacture, Ketchup from the Indonesian word kecap which means soy sauce and not tomato sauce, Satay from the Javanese word of Sate.

5. Textiles and Clothes: Batik a type of textile and weaving technique from the Javanese word Batik, Ikat, Songket, Sarong from the Indonesian word Sarung and Canting from the Javanese word Canting.

6. Musical Instruments: Gong which is a very popular musical instrument in the country as well as Gamelan and Angklung.

7. Nautical Archaeology: Popular words used in the industry like Junk which originated from the Indonesian word Jong, Proa from the Javanese word Prahu as well as Indonesian word Perahu.

8. Hoplology: Sjamnok which is a kind of weapon made from wood and used to punish slaves originated from the Indonesian word Cambuk.

9. Anthroponomastics: Popular English names like Mata Hari has its roots in the Indonesian word Mata Hari meaning Sun.

10. Psychology: Psychological terms used to describe the human state and mind like Latah and Amok.

Indonesia Business Economy

Indonesia is one of the richest countries in the world when it comes to the supply of natural resources like natural gas, crude oil, gold and copper. This is why more and more businesses are investing in Indonesian translation, in order to expand their business at the said location. Over the years Indonesia has popularized its name for being a manufacturing centre and the country’s Gross Domestic Product or GDP, and Price Per Capita or PPC is estimated at 3.481 trillion United States Dollar and $13,120 respectively.

Most of the major countries and nations across the world have strong business relationships with Indonesia. These countries include Pakistan, India, China, The Netherlands, Vietnam and Germany. While Indonesia is known to import food products, plastic and iron or steel, the major exports of this country include rubber, textiles, electrical appliances and gas or oil.

Basic Etiquettes And Business Protocol

Being such a vast nation with so much diversity among its people and one of the best Countries To Expand Your Business, it is common knowledge that there will some business protocols and etiquettes, businessmen and traders are required to follow when doing business in the country. Some of the most popular of these include the following:

A)- Business Cards

Similar to other nations across the globe, the importance of business cards when doing business in Indonesia is important. Generally, there is an exchange of business cards between parties after a formal short meeting and handshake. In order to show respect to the general populace, it is best practice to print one side in Bahasa and the other in English. Also, your business card must include your title. It is of utmost importance to use your right hand or both your hands while exchanging business cards with potential partners. After receiving the card, you are expected to treat it with respect and keep it on your chest pocket or business card case.

B)- Formal Wear

When in business meetings, Indonesians follow a strict formal wear decorum. While tight fitting clothes are forbidden for both men and women, women are expected to wear conservative dresses which will cover them from neck to ankle.

C)- Tone of Communicating

Indonesians are very soft spoken people. They treat loud people as being aggressive. Because of their subdued tone of speaking, you will be expected to read between the lines and also understand the body language of a potential business partner. Similar to Brazil and other upper middle economies, Indonesians too prefer face to face communication rather than exchanging messages. Hence, it is ideal to Go For Big Translation, i.e. translation offered by certified service providers, as they clearly understand what is essential for quality translation taht actuall works. Further, indonesians often regard business meetings as being a personal affair and therefore taking the time to know each other and communicate effectively is important.

In general, Indonesians are very polite and welcoming people. Most often you will get answers you would like to hear rather their actual replies. If they feel you are aggressive, they will simply avoid you and move forward. It might take some time to close a deal here, and therefore a lot of patience is required.

Why should you learn Bahasa Indonesia?

From an organizations perspective, learning a new language and embracing a country’s culture will definitely open more doors of opportunity than those were previously accessible to you. It will help you to gain the love and respect from the general populace which will make it easy for you to do business in the particular country. Although the Significance of Translation is high, mentioned below are some noteworthy aspects of learning Bahasa.

a)- Economic opportunities

As classified by the World Bank, the economy of Indonesia is a lower middle economy which has been growing steadily over the past few years. This implies that there lies a huge potential in this market and speaking the local tongue will definitely be your advantage.

b)- Communication Source

It is foolish to assume that your business partner in Indonesia will speak fluent English. As mentioned above, learning their language and embracing their culture will help you gather their support and respect. This will also give you a better advantage over your competitors in the market.

c)- Learn About Culture Of Indonesia

As you might have already guessed, Indonesia is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multilingual country. Every ethnic group in this country has its own philosophies and ideologies, all of which combine to make it a very complex and unique culture. By aligning your company’s motto, embracing this unique culture and having access to Certified Document Translation, your organization will be better off to compete and operate in this industry over your competitors.

d)- Establish New Business Relationships

The opportunities are endless when you learn Bahasa. Staring from educational ties to commercial ones, a lot is possible in this dynamic and potential market just by learning their national language. This will open the door for a rich and profitable business relationship for the years to come.

In conclusion to this article, you can understand that Bahasa is one of the most important Languages To Learn in 2018 if you want to have a business empire at this bustling market. You don’t need to go for massive organizations, rather having access to language professionals will do the job.

We at Tridindia are ranked as one of the best translation and localization experts in the world. With several years of experience in the Indonesian market, we will be your best translation partner in this dynamic and hugely potential market.

Reach out to us today via our contact us form or by calling us at  +91-8527599523 or mail us at [email protected]